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US Government Blocks British Court Hearing on Diego Garcia Citing Security Concerns
According to official records, the US government has refused to hold a British court hearing on British territory due to security concerns.
The highest court of the British Indian Ocean Territory (Biot) was scheduled to hold a hearing this week, attended by the BBC, to determine whether a group of migrants was being unlawfully imprisoned on the island of Diego Garcia.
The island is home to a classified UK-US military installation, and entry is strictly restricted.
According to official emails, the US announced last week that it was “withdrawing its consent” for lawyers representing migrants and “members of the press”—the BBC—to visit the island.
It stated that it would not allow hearing participants to board US military flights to Diego Garcia and would not provide “housing, transportation, and food for the visit”.
The US stated that it would be “willing to reconsider” if the visit was “conducted in a manner” that met its “security and operational concerns”.
Dozens of migrants arrived on the island in October 2021, claiming to have been fleeing persecution and attempting to sail to Canada to seek refuge when their boat became stuck near Diego Garcia.
Late last Thursday night, hours before the judge, UK government lawyers, refugees’ representatives, and the BBC were scheduled to board flights for the first leg of the journey, the court issued an order canceling the hearing.
The US security concerns stem from a site visit slated for the island as part of the hearing, which was to include the migrant camp and numerous other parts of Diego Garcia.
In a message dated July 3, headlined “United States Notification to the United Kingdom of denial of the 6-12 July 2024 visit by the Biot Supreme Court to Diego Garcia,” US authorities stated that the site visit posed “risks to the security and effective operation” of the facility.
It has previously stated that it was willing to allow access to locations such as the migrant camp, the surrounding beaches, and a chapel where children receive education.
However, it stated that it would not grant access to areas “open to civilian contractors and other non-military personnel,” such as a movie theater, a barbershop, and a bowling alley, the airport terminal, and “all US-controlled areas occupied by the Biot administration, the Royal Overseas Police, and the Royal Navy.”
According to court filings filed on behalf of Biot’s commissioner, the reasons for the island’s US military commander’s decision were “confidential and based on the US’s assessment of its own national security needs”.
Tom Short, a lawyer with the UK company Leigh Day, representing some migrants, said the cancellation of this week’s hearing was “a devastating blow to our vulnerable clients” and urged it to be rescheduled as soon as possible.
“Our clients have agreed to US demands that the site visit exclude certain US-controlled buildings (such as the gym and swimming pool where US cheerleaders and celebrity chefs visited earlier this year), as well as facilities such as the Turner Club and Golf Club (which Biot and FCDO civil servants frequent).”
“It is of paramount importance to our clients that the Judge see the detention camp and that they attend a hearing in person,” he claimed.
A virtual court session on Tuesday, attended by lawyers in London and migrants in Diego Garcia, aimed to establish the next steps in the case as talks between the UK and US governments continued.
After the hearing, migrants told the BBC they were disappointed that this week’s hearing had been canceled.
“It has taken away all our hope,” one woman stated. “We’ve been locked here for about three years. We hoped that this hearing would bring us some relief.”
In 1965, the UK acquired the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, which include Diego Garcia, from its then-colony, Mauritius. It then evicted its population of over 1,000 to make a place for the military base.
Agreements struck in 1966 authorized the United States to exploit the region for an initial 50 years, followed by an additional 20 years. The agreement was subsequently “rolled over” in 2016, and according to the Biot website, it will now expire in 2036.
Biot is managed from London but is said to be “constitutionally distinct” from the UK.
Mauritius, which gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1968, claims ownership of the islands, and the United Nations’ highest court has decided that the UK’s administration of the area is “unlawful” and must terminate.
The US controls most of the troops and resources on Diego Garcia, including most of the island’s accommodation, transportation, restaurants, and businesses.
For security considerations, the US military commander may prohibit access to US military-operated or controlled places.
In a witness statement, Biot’s deputy commissioner, Nishi Dholakia, stated that it would be impossible to “make alternative arrangements to replace the logistical support which the US was due to provide” in time for the scheduled court hearing this week.
He stated that the chamber where the hearing was set could only be used if the United States cooperated.
According to Biot’s official website, only “those with connections either to the military facility or the Territory’s Administration” can visit the island.
Diego Garcia has been referred to as a significant strategic base for the US. Two B-52 bombers were sent there to conduct training drills earlier this year.
In recent decades, US planes have flown from the facility to strike Afghanistan and Iraq.
The UK government revealed that rendition flights landed on the territory to refuel in 2002. However, former CIA director Michael Hayden disputed that it was ever used to detain and interrogate terror suspects.
The first asylum petitions on Biot were filed by dozens of Sri Lankan Tamils who arrived in October 2021. Approximately 60 people, including at least 16 children, remain there, guarded by private security company G4S, as intricate court fights over their destiny play out.
This week’s session was scheduled for their first in-person meeting with their counsel. There have been many suicide attempts on the island, as well as claims of sexual harassment and assaults reportedly perpetrated by migrants in the camp.
Some migrants have been airlifted to Rwanda for medical treatment following self-harm and suicide attempts, while those who have successfully filed claims are awaiting the identification of a “safe third country” in which to resettle.
Last year, United Nations representatives visited the camp and found arbitrary detention conditions.
During Tuesday’s virtual session, one of the island’s migrants fainted repeatedly.
The Foreign Office has previously informed the BBC that the island is unsuitable for migrants to reside on and is “working tirelessly to process the migrants’ claims for protection and to find a suitable third country for those whose claims are upheld”.
“At all times, the welfare and safety of migrants on Biot has always been our top priority,” it stated earlier this year.
Source: BBC
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has come under fire yet again after a video surfaced on X, showing him dancing at a Taylor Swift performance while anti-Nato protestors ransacked downtown Montreal.
Trudeau attended Taylor Swift’s concert in Toronto on Friday night. Before Taylor Swift approached the stage, X shared a viral video of him dancing and singing along to the song “You Don’t Own Me.”
The image of Trudeau dancing amid violent protests in Montreal generated widespread indignation online. Some social media users even compared Trudeau to the ancient Roman dictator Nero, known for “fiddling while Rome burned.”
Don Stewart, a Member of Parliament (MP) representing part of Toronto, called out the prime minister in a post on X.
Lawless protestors run roughshod over Montreal in violent protest.
The Prime Minister dances.
This is the Canada built by the Liberal government.
Bring back law and order, safe streets and communities in the Canada we once knew and loved. pic.twitter.com/PVJvR6gtmf
— Don Stewart (@donstewartmp) November 23, 2024
“Lawless protesters run roughshod over Montreal in violent protest. The Prime Minister dances,” Stewart wrote. “This is the Canada built by the Liberal government.”
“Bring back law and order, safe streets and communities in the Canada we once knew and loved,” the MP added.
On Saturday, the day after Taylor Swift’s concert, Trudeau condemned the anti-NATO protests, calling them “appalling.”
Anti-NATO activists set off smoke bombs and marched through Montreal’s streets waving Palestinian flags. According to the Montreal Gazette, rioters set fire to automobiles and battled with police.
Pro-Palestinian protests
Protesters also tossed tiny explosives and metal objects at officers. At one point, the mob torched an effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Police used tear gas and batons to disperse the gathering, and three persons were arrested for attacking officers and impeding police operations.
Masked protesters were seen burning flares and bashing storefront windows in videos and photographs shared on social media. Pro-Palestinian protests have been taking place across Canada since the Israel-Gaza conflict began late last year.
Critics have lambasted Trudeau for doing nothing to stop the violent pro-Palestinian marches, with some claiming he has fueled anti-Israel sentiment in Canada.
On Friday, Trudeau stated that Canada would respect the orders of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which issued an arrest warrant for Mr Netanyahu, even if it meant arresting the Israeli prime leader on Canadian soil.
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The Calgary Zoo has admitted in a public statement that a zookeeper’s negligence caused the death of a 2-year-old baby gorilla. Eyare, a newborn gorilla, died last week after being slammed in the head by a hydraulic door.
The accident occurred when a zoo worker attempted to separate Eyare from the rest of the gorilla tribe for a solitary training session.
The gorilla died from significant head injuries, according to the zoo’s statement.
“This tragedy has struck us all in the deepest way imaginable,” Colleen Baird, director of animal care at the Calgary Zoo, said during a news conference. “Eyare’s brief but meaningful existence gave so much joy to our community, and all will sorely miss her. We will do everything possible to prevent repeat accidents.”
According to Baird, the staff member involved was immediately removed from the workplace and will be reassigned to another area of the zoo. The Calgary Zoo stated that it would take preventive steps, such as specialist personnel training and animal behavioral training, to avoid a similar incident.
Calgary Zoo Questioned
It is not the first time an animal at the zoo has died from negligence at the Calgary Zoo. A capybara was accidentally crushed by a hydraulic door similar to the one that killed Eyare in 2019.
An otter died in 2016 after being entangled in an “unauthorized” pair of jeans that a zookeeper had dropped in its enclosure. In 2013, a penguin died in “a freak accident” after swallowing a stick.
Animal Justice, a Canadian group that promotes animal welfare, has called for an independent investigation of animal safety and oversight at the Alberta facility.
“The Calgary Zoo appears to have a higher rate of animal deaths compared to other zoos, and in light of Eyare’s death there should be a systematic review of the zoo’s operations and practices, conducted transparently by the government or another outside party,” according to Camille Labchuk, the executive director of Animal Justice.
The Calgary Zoo refuted that it has more animal deaths than other zoos, emphasizing that it adheres to operating requirements and has maintained accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ independent Accreditation Commission since 1978.
“We love and care for more than 4,000 animals representing over 100 species that call our zoo home,” stated a Calgary Zoo representative.
“Human error-related deaths in animals are quite infrequent. We have lost two animals in the last ten years: a North American river otter in 2016 and ‘Eyare’ this week.
While rare, even one human-caused death is too many. These unfortunate instances have served as vital learning experiences, prompting us to examine and tighten protocols to provide the greatest level of care.”
Baird said at the news conference that using hydraulic doors is “common practice with accredited zoos,” adding that the facility will consider switching to alternate doors to improve safety.
The Calgary Zoo, which established the Wilder Institute in 2021, caters to nearly 4,000 creatures, including six more western lowland gorillas.
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Lotto Max in Canada has reached $80 million for only the second time in Canadian lottery history. Friday’s draw sought a winner for a $75 million pool, but the top reward remained unclaimed as of Saturday, increasing the jackpot.
Only once did the jackpot reach $80 million in September, when it broke the previous record. Before that, the prize was $75 million, a record.
The Lotto Max prize maximum was boosted earlier this year, enabling for jackpots of more than $70 million. The cap is now at $80 million.
While a greater fee may encourage more people to play, the odds of winning the lottery remain extremely low.
According to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, the odds for a $5 ticket are around one in 33,294,800.
While there was no jackpot winner in Friday’s draw, someone did match six of the seven winning numbers, plus a bonus, earning them a payout of more than $320,000.
Lotto Max History
Lotto Max is one of three national lottery games in Canada, overseen by the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation. The game was introduced on September 19, 2009, and its inaugural draw occurred on September 25, 2009. It replaced Lotto Super 7.
The odds of winning the Lotto Max are 1 in 33,294,800. This is correct to a point but misleading.
Let’s have a look at the rules:
- Players choose 7 numbers out of 50
- Numbers cannot be repeated
- Numbers are automatically sorted into ascending order
- Each play buys 3 lines
- Each play costs $5
Seeing that players choose 7 out of 50 non-repeating numbers, the equation for the total number of possible combinations (this is different from permutations where the order in which the numbers appear is significant) when playing the Lotto Max is 50! / (7! x 43!)
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